Familiar Stranger
by sessrockks
Summary: ON HOLDREPOST! NEW CHAPTER ADDED. Sasuke gets another chance when Naruto returns after disappearing for five years. However, he finds himself constantly surprised or more appropriately shocked. Yaoi MM pairings. You have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is my first Naruto fic so if I screwed up somewhere please go easy on me!

I don't own anything, especially Naruto and its characters. I am just a poor little girl who likes to write yaoi. This is a Sasu/Naru of course. Please R&R on how my first attempt at Naruto go!

takes a deep breath Here we go!

Familiar Stranger..

Chapter One: Back home

Darkness was his ally, in the chill of the night he was most relaxed. One could say he was the creature of the night. The night which had forever lost its sunshine.

Today was his sunshine's birthday. It was one of those painful days he had to endure. While Konoha celebrated the entrapment of its most feared demon. Carrying on festivities, enjoying and rejoicing for the continuation of their filthy worthless lives. Uchiha Sasuke morned the loss of a treasures friend, a worthy rival.

Who cared? All these people with their noble ideals. They claim they would lay down their lives for the sake of this village. Nothing but lies, they were selfish weaklings who never understood the concept of sacrifice. He had sacrificed, Uzumaki Naruto had sacrificed.

No, he did not lay down his life, no he did not give up the right to breathe. That would have been a relatively easy route. What would cowards know of the level of his sacrifice. He used the very beast that nearly destroyed the village to protect them. Everyday, every hour, every minute, he held that demon inside of him, smiled that bright sunshine smile in the face of insults and threats. He transformed the darkness around him and produced light. What a treasure he was.

He, Uchiha Sasuke, respected no one, cared for no one yet he was coddled, loved and worshiped even. All because of the name. All because of the powerful blood that flowed through his veins. They did not realize that danger they lived in. He did not care for them. He would rather have them dead, but this was his beloved's village. This was Naruto's village.

What did they know? One day he would snap from the sheer amount of loneliness he endured. He would slaughter people in this village just as his brother had done to his clan. He would run in pursuit of power and try once again to kill his elder sibling, the shame of a brother that Itachi was. What power did they have over him, none.

The one who could tame him, keep him sane was gone. They chased him away with their poisonous tongues and careless actions. The light to his darkness was gone, irreplaceable. There were many Uchiha Sasuke, but there was only one Uzumaki Naruto. The one he loved. Oh so very much.

He looked up at the countless stars that adorned the night sky. He still remembered the childish belief that Naruto followed. The belief that one of those stars was his mother, looking down at him always. Sparkling in hope and love against the darkness of the sky. He realized that how comforting that thought can be even though it was just a silly belief. It made you feel less lonely.

_'Are you looking at the stars too Naruto? Are you remembering the days we spent together? Days full of spars and insults that carried no venom. Days of friendly rivalry.'_

Sometimes he wondered why you realized the importance of things when they were gone. He could laugh at all those times he thought the flutter in his heart that the sight of the blond was due to anticipation of a spar. Or when he thought the icy fear that coursed through him whenever that blond was close to death was due to loosing a worthy rival.

How immature he was, he had all he needed. He just had to reach out his hand and caress that sun kissed skin. He just had to grasp hold of that delicate looking wrist and pull him to his chest. Naruto's light would have chased away his darkness. Naruto would have acted as a healing balm to his aching, bleeding heart.

_'How selfish!' _he scolded himself. He too was selfish. He wanted Naruto for selfish reasons, he wanted Naruto's safety for selfish reasons. But how could one stop his own heart? That greedy organ that beat inside one's body, demanding love, friendship, companionship.

His absent minded footsteps stopped, his mind froze, incapable of coherent thoughts. He was in the middle of all hustle bustle. People littered the whole place, enjoying, celebrating. Men drinking sake, woman giggling and gossiping. Girls ogling over handsome boys and boys ogling over beautiful girls. Useless banter, meaningless activities, they had no purpose, no goal. The village seemed dead to him without the loud obnoxious blond. To Sasuke it seemed Naruto sucked away all the brightness and taken it away with him, leaving this empty shell. This shell that was filled with false light, that echoed of malicious laughter.

He walked to a secluded corner, away from attention hungry girls. Somehow he was not surprised when the lazy genius Shikamaru laying on the soft grass covered ground looking up at the sky.

Sasuke shrugged and sat down beside him knowing that he would not be bothered by this particular ninja. He was ready to carry on his musings when Shikamaru spoke up.

"He's still on your mind Sasuke? Even after five whole years? If you would have told him you love him, he wouldn't have left."

Sasuke sighed inwardly, knowing that Shikamaru was right. What he wouldn't do to have Naruto back, just one more chance. He would do things right this time.

"Hokage told me to inform you that you have a meeting with her 7 am." Sasuke just gave a curt nod. Shikamaru sighed and closed his eyes. He was comfortable with Sasuke, there was no useless banter when it came to him. Meaningful silence and a easy easy friendship had developed between them. That is how Shikamaru knew the Uchiha heir's deepest, darkest secrets.

Sasuke watched the night sky again, jumbled thoughts haunting him again. Not all about the blond, some where of Itachi, some of Orochimaru. He wondered if Itachi managed to get his hands on Naruto. He hoped not, he hoped his rival was alright, that he was safe and sound. Bothering some poor soul with his genius pranks and loud mouth. Dazzling someone with those beyond compare eyes and that bright welcoming smile.

His dobe was somewhere out there, lighting up someone's world with his shine.

Sasuke sat in front of the hokage, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. She was not meeting his eyes, her gaze was trained on the scroll in front of her and for the past five minutes since he had arrived she had said nothing. His patience was wearing thin.

"Hokage-Sama, why did you call me here?" Sasuke practically hissed words through gritted teeth. Surprisingly she did not get annoyed. There was a serious atmosphere around her that calmed Sasuke down almost immediately. She lifted her head and met his gaze head on.

"There is a mission for you." Sasuke raised a twitching eyebrow at that, _'She took five minutes to say that!'_

"It involves Naruto." Sasuke stilled at that announcement. His whole body went rigid as he met Tsunade's gaze, some sort of sadness had darkened her eyes making Sasuke fear for the worst. His palms clenched into tight fists, his knuckles going white, "What about him?"

Tsunade smiled slightly and said, "He's back."

Those words rang through his mind, his Naruto was back. He got his second chance, he got his silent prayer answered. Sasuke stood and turned to leave when the hokage stopped him, "I did not give you permission to leave yet Sasuke. Before you go on to blame Naruto there is something you should now." Sasuke sat back again and waited patiently.

"Sasuke, you must know that I sent Naruto away." Sharp eyes narrowed at the hokage in a death glare. She was far from fazed, thankful that Sasuke was holding his temper enough to let her finish. "I sent him away saying that he can come back whenever he wants. I had an unexpected visit from him yesterday." She smiled fondly and said, "You should see his Sasuke, he has changed so much. He is not a moron anymore Sasuke, you will have a hard time keeping up with his wit."

Sasuke lowered his head, his jaw set as he asked, "Why.. Why did you send him away?"

Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair looking up at the ceiling. "He was dieing inside. I could not bear to see that poor boy suffer each and everyday. He was loosing faith in himself Sasuke so I sent him to a better place, where he would learn to love himself. Where he would know his own worth. I wanted him to heal. These villagers kept inflicting wounds on him before even letting him heal."

She smiled and looked at him again, "Go see him Sasuke, see how your rival has turned out. Your mission is to keep him sane, be is guardian as he was yours. I am entrusting you with a person that means a lot to me. Take care of him."

Even the sky could not rival the color of his eyes, such beauty they possessed. Clear and sparkling baby blue, sometimes with mischief and sometimes with innocence. Sometimes with sharp intelligence and something with unparalleled naiveté. He was the contradiction of himself, maturity in the cloak of innocence, ice floating just underneath the fire.

Uzumaki Naruto was a boy no more.

A soft smile lit his features as he took in the familiar sight of the training grounds. His sweat his soaked these grounds so many times. Upon the earthly bed he had lain after each grueling training session rejoicing in the feel of blood rushing through his veins. How he loved the light headed feeling he got when he was exhausted after sparing with his rival.

His rival, his smile widened at the thought of Sasuke. _'Kyuubi, do you smell that. This is the scent of home, the air here is so warm and welcoming. Can you feel it fox. The winds, the trees, the soul, they are all welcoming us.'_

_**'Yeah yeah Kit, I feel it. They are your companions. You can always trust them.'**_

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Warmth settled over his stomach as he spread his arms wide to embrace his home in his imagination. A look of utter bliss crossing over his features. He missed his home so much. He knew that he did the right thing, he needed a break, he needed that freedom and he couldn't thank Tsunade Baa-chan enough for the opportunity.

He just hoped that his friends find it in their heart to forgive him. One friend in particular. Speaking of which...

Slender fingers grabbed the kunai that was that was thrown at him deftly before it reached its target. A small smirk formed on rosy lips as he teased, "Come now, attacking poor unsuspecting people is not your style Sasuke."

Blond hair danced with the morning breeze as he turned to face his long time rival, one of the most important people in his life. The smirk turned into a sincere smile as he softly asked, "How have you been Sasuke?" A rush of air was is only warning as he found himself pinned to a tree with pale fingers wrapped around his neck in a firm yet gentle grip.

"How have I been you ask?" Sasuke hissed as he brought his face closer to Naruto's. Midnight black bored into baby blue as he whispered, "Why is it your concern? You left right? Without even so much as a good bye you left." Naruto locked his softened gaze with Sasuke's angry one and said gently, "I know you spoke to Tsunade Baa-chan. It was imperative that I left. You of all people should understand that bastard."

Sasuke scoffed at him but did not let go. He wanted a moment more, just a little moment of sharing his scented breath. A moment of feeling warmth flow from Naruto's body to his. A moment to know that he was for real and right here.

He lowered his head and rested his forehead against Naruto's and whispered, "Dobe.. You could have at least told me. I have yet to find a rival worthy enough of my presence." Naruto chuckled in response and murmured, "You are really hopeless you know that. A friend returns after five year and you throw kunai at him and crush him against a tree. What a warm welcome. I should be flattered." The Uchiha heir smirked at the blond, breathing in the scent of those sunny locks.

_'Messy as always.'_ He thought absently. Naruto had grown up beautifully in five years, he was still shorter than him. Sasuke pulled back a little and looked at Naruto from head to toe.

He produced a classic mocking grin and teased, "Age has not been kind to you. Still short, and so skinny. You could easily pass for a girl. No need for you Sexy-no-Jitsu."

Sharp blue eyes narrowed as he growled, "Why you..."


	2. Chapter 2

Familiar stranger..

Chapter Two: Enigma

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Kakashi brought his nose of of his perverted book for a moment to look at Sakura and went back to reading. He was hoping that he would have some peace. He did not have anything important to do. He let out a long suffering sigh when he realized that he could not ignore the pink haired girl.

She stomped over to him and huffed in annoyance, "Would you stop reading the book and listen to me!" Kakashi shrugged and said lazily, "I am listening."

The pink haired girl crossed her arms and said, "Sasuke-kun found someone to spar with, he is fighting in at the training ground as we speak." That caught the jounin's interest. A single visible eye narrowed as he said, "So he finally found someone who is worthy of taking Naruto's place. Let's go."

_'I should have known!' _

Kakashi thought. His covered lips forming into a slight smile as he observed the two boys fight. He was not surprised to find almost all of Sasuke and Naruto's friends present there to observe. None of them had realized the identity of Sasuke's opponent but they were anxious to know who he was. It was a well known fact that Sasuke had given up sparing with everyone but Kakashi deeming them unworthy.

A rare sight to behold indeed. Kakashi watched them with uncharacteristic interest. _'Talk about music in motion.'_ Kakashi mused as he watched Naruto. Naruto moved like a predator, naturally graceful and raw. Sasuke on the other hand was swift and precise. The jounin could easily see that Naruto had an advantage here, the fox boy was moving with liquid ease as he slipped to the ground to dodge Sasuke's kick to his chest. He rolled on the ground and flipped back a few paces just out of the reach of his rival.

Sasuke's style had changed little, he had just improved upon it. Where as Naruto had changed 180. The fox boy pulled his lips against his teeth in a feral smirk, fangs slightly glinting against the sun. He crouched low mentally anticipating Sasuke's every move. _'He will come to me and flip over my head first..' _and that is just what Sasuke did.

_'Bring his legs from under me when I attempt to stand to counter him..' _

Naruto grinned as he vaulted to the air to avoid the kick and twisted in mid air to slam his foot against Sasuke's cheek. All he found was air as Sasuke lay flat on the back to avoid what he saw coming. In a vulnerable moment Naruto had his back towards his opponent of which Sasuke took advantage and putting his weight on both his palms he kicked Naruto's back hard.

Naruto grunted in pain as he fell forward but soon recovered. Planting to palms firmly on the ground his flipped and landed expertly on his feet.

"Come now Uchiha, is that all you got?"

Sasuke took on the challenge in his voice and jumped to his feet. The moment his feet touched the ground he was off towards Naruto with speed that made him look a mere blur of black. He moved frantically left and and forward trying to distract Naruto. The fox boy waited patiently not making the mistake of underestimating Sasuke. His alert blue eyes watched his rival's movements and suddenly grinned, "There!" He muttered to himself and aimed a powerful punch directly at Sasuke's stomach.

That sent the Uchiha flying to crash against a tree. Naruto swiftly took out two kunai and threw them at Sasuke. One pinned his shirt to the tree and the other his shorts leaving Sasuke standing in a very odd position.

Naruto allowed himself to rejoice at the position for a moment before his own kunai were hurled back at him. He did not dodge, he swiftly caught them with expert fingers. He raised an eyebrow at the glint in Sasuke's eyes and then smirked, "You haven't done this for a while have you Sasuke. Stubborn as always."

There was something animalistic about the way Naruto fought. The fox boy hissed, baring his little fangs.

Others might have thought that this was a simple spar but they were wrong. It was a dance of acquaintance, their moves were unknowingly sensuous. Each blow was a caress. An act as old as time, as old as love was war. It was war between them. Both rejoicing in the rush of steaming blood that flowed through them because of their fight. Loving the way blood and sweat tickled down their glossy bodies. Each attempt to inflict pain, each attempt to win was only a cover to feel that closeness that they had not felt for five years.

Their's was a kind of longing, a kind of lust that lovers would envy. A craving for dominance, a craving for touch anyway possible. And this was the only way they saw fit. It was funny how they could each wound inflicted showed a deeper love. How two such different people, mold and fit together so easily. It was love without risk.

It was as though their minds were linked, some strange telepathy worked between them. Each blow was met with a blow. Beautiful bodies were marred with wounds yet they did not mind. They were making love in their own way, familiarizing themselves with each other once again.

Unrevealed affection, unidentified passion, secret longings were tightly chained inside their hearts. Both were masters of poise, they threw illusions to hide their true selves from others and could not manage to hide from each other.

Yes, they were truly a beautiful sight, if you looked beyond the blood marring silken, if you look beyond the harsh blows and the nasty scowls. One could see the heat in those eyes, one of summer sky the other of the darkest nights glowing in a gleam that no one to understand. Powerful bodies molded around one another in a graceful deadly dance, in their own way they were memorizing each other.

Suddenly, they stopped. Much to everyone's surprise. They just stopped, panting and sweating, bleeding from the multiple wounds that adorned their bodies. Everyone held their breaths not knowing what to expect. The gorgeous blond's face broke into a frankly mocking grin as he said, "You got an equal now,oh mighty Uchiha Sasuke."

"Now let's not get serious. Come on you two, no one is going to win this one." Kakashi said lazily bringing his two former students out of the match they had.

Everybody was huddled together as the stranger spoke to Kakashi. Neiji was observing Sasuke closely. The Uchiha heir had his eyes closed and was leaning against a tree, though strangely his expression was peaceful. Kiba, Ino, Sakura and Hinata had their eyes trained on the pair that were conversing silently at the other end of the field. All other had already left, getting busy with their work.

"You know, he is kinda hot.." Ino murmured. Sakura rolled her eyes and said, "Ino! Are you going to hit on him too?" As she said that Sakura turned to observe the new comer not paying any attention to Ino's response.

There was something wild about this guy, the whole aura around him seemed untamed. Spiky blond hair glistened with a moist sheen under the sun, laying flat against his forehead heavy with sweat. Long tanned arms crossed over his chest as his fingers absently drummed against his biceps as he listened to Kakashi speak. He had a tall lean body, not as tall as Sasuke or Kakashi but one couldn't call him short either. His looked were somewhat effeminate, while other boys could be called hot and handsome this one could only be described as beautiful.

She could see what Ino meant. His features were delicate, and there was unconscious grace in every movement he made. Yet he screamed of power, the air around him tingled with barely suppressed energy. His silvery blue eyes were alert despite the half lidded bored expression he wore. A lazy smile tugged at his lips seemed ever-present, that smile seemed to belong on his lips. And his voice, she had barely heard him speak, but that voice had sent a sensuous tremor down her spine.

Yes, she decided finally. This guy was definitely hot and Konoha ladies now had another man to pin for along with Uchiha Sasuke. But the question was, Who is this guy?

Sakura turned to look at Ino and Hinata. Silent admiration was written on their faces and then she turned to see Neiji and Kiba. The Hyuuga was observing the stranger thoughtfully, a small amount of recognition was their on his visage although she was uncertain. Neiji was after all very difficult to read. Kiba fondled with his dog and said, "Don't you guys think that he looks a lot like Naruto? All he needs is his whiskers."

At that question Sakura's gaze landed on the silent Uchiha. Sasuke had not even opened his eyes to look at Kiba or acknowledge the question.

Ino shrugged and said, "I don't know Kiba. Naruto could never compare to this guy. Just look at him. Nothing is out of place in him, you saw how he moves. His every action is flawless and graceful, and Naruto was clumsy. See his style, all Naruto used to wear was those repulsively orange colored clothes." Sakura saw Sasuke's eyebrow twitch and his lips thin.

Ino just continued, "Plus, Naruto was loud mouthed and could not stand still for a moment. That guy has been listening to Kakashi speak for almost fifteen minutes now and hasn't moved an inch." Hinata smiled and said, "But Ino, what makes you think that Naruto-kun is still like that? He might have changed."

"If he is alive that is.." Neiji interrupted.

Sasuke's head snapped up and he looked at Neiji. He did not like the idea to Neiji thinking so negatively of Naruto "Tell me, what kind of friend are you?" Sasuke asked, his dark eyes glittering in anger. The Hyuuga shrugged and said, "That same kind of friend Naruto was when he left without informing anyone."

Sasuke inwardly winced at that. He knew that reason but was it his place to tell them? He kept silent and turned to look at Naruto, _'I am glad you are back dobe.'_

Both Naruto and Kakashi walked towards them. Their sensei had a wicked gleam in his exposed eye, like he was planning something. Naruto seemed to have noticed that too for he met Sasuke's gaze and raised and eyebrow. Sasuke shrugged in response and fixed his gaze on the pervert.

Kakashi looked at everyone but held Sasuke's gaze a little longer and said, "I like you all to meet Kiyoshi. He will be staying here from now on and will work as a ninja. Rest all information about him is classified so I suggest you do not bother asking him." Naruto raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching in amusement as he met Sasuke's gaze. Midnight black eyes were also amused although his face was as impassive as ever.

Sasuke did not know the motive behind Kakashi but Naruto looked as surprised as he did. _'Kakashi has a strange sense of humor. How can you give a name like that you Konoha's loudest ninja? Kiyoshi, the quiet one, Naruto?'_

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief and saw Naruto looking at Kakashi with suspicious eyes, "You know Kakashi-sensei people do not trust you when you do not trust them. You will make my stay here difficult if you say these kinds of things to potential companions." Kakashi looked at him, Sasuke stared. Naruto's voice had been serious and solemn which was very much unlike the Naruto they used to know.

The blond raised an eyebrow at this reaction. His ears twitched when he heard Kiba whisper to Sakura, "He is definitely not Naruto." The leaf nin had to work hard to suppress a laugh at that. _'Kiba my man! What happened to your nose?'_

Somewhat offended that his friends would think so low of him he let his gaze leave them and take in the familiar sight of his home town. He soft sigh escaped his lips. It was always good to be back but he knew soon enough the villagers will start talking and taunting and snubbing him. His eyelids lowered until they were almost closed making his eyes look nearly silver instead of blue. It had been a long time since he had to put on fake smiles and cheery attitude. During the years of his travel he was never shunned or despised. He was treated with respect he deserved.

Then why did he come back to Konoha?

It was because his heart lived here. In this village were he was born and cursed with a demon. He could feel the beginnings of a smirk from on his lips. Kyuubi had rubbed off on him during the past few years. Naruto could imagine his life without the fox sealed inside him now, the old demon provided him with strength when he was at his weakest.

His hand unconsciously went to his stomach at the thought of Kyuubi.

_**Hiding your identity is a good idea kit. You can have some peace until they finally figure it out.**_

_I guess you are right. _Naruto sighed to himself again.

_May be I can earn their respect this way.. Sasuke knows so I don't have to be on my guard all the time._

**_Kit, don't let the Uchiha come too close. You know you cannot live in this beloved village of yours for long_**.

_It's alright Kyuubi, we can trust Sasuke, you know that. Sasuke is my best friend, he has always been._

_**That makes it all the more difficult for you to leave again, right? Both of you are equally stubborn, you went after him when he took off with that snake and he will come after you. Can't you see, he will watch you like a hawk.**_

Naruto looked over his shoulder at Sasuke, who was presently occupied with Kakashi trying to figure out why Naruto needed an alias.

_Kyuubi, Why did you tell me to come here when you knew that once I saw Sasuke all my feelings towards him would resurface?_

_**I know kit, but staying out of this village makes you more miserable than staying in this village. When I asked you to leave here, you were near breaking point.**_

The fox container closed his eyes fully, memories flashing through his mind. He remembered the stabbing pain he felt every time he was called a monster, and he could feel how difficult it became to hide himself behind that sunshine smile of his. It was becoming difficult to maintain his sanity and for the sake of himself and the village people he had to leave. Leave so he could gather himself.

He did not know if his decision was a mistake or not. For his travels revealed to him a different world. A world where he was strong and respected. A world were he was not a demon but a warrior to held the demon caged and fought with it every moment of his life to be in control of his own body. He was he savior not the destroyer. All his false cheerfulness shattered, all his hopes became mere fantasies when he saw this.

Reality had hit him hard, he finally understood that he was a demon that they could never forgive. He understood that they were fools that took everything for face value, they did not look into the deeper meaning of things and that pissed Naruto off. He had a right to be happy and to live safe.

Five years away from the village had changed him. He took shit from nobody, if they snubbed him, called him a demon. He will show them demon. They will respect him, whether they liked it or not. He was tired of running. He was fed up of staying away from his home, from his friends who still remembered him, still seemed to miss him.

He will not let anyone fuck up his life. They will just have to learn to live with their new and improved Naruto.

He was gonna make them taste their own medicine.

_I will not run any more Kyuubi, I will not give anyone the power to hurt me. No one will be able to touch Uzumaki Naruto._

_**Alright kit, as long as you are fine with it. **_

AN: Alright, this is done. Tell me how this is going so far. Was the change in Naruto too much? R&R people.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Familiar Stranger...

Suppressed emotions.

Naruto locked his gaze with Sasuke and raised an eyebrow at the glittering rage that clouded those dark orbs. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto always had a sort of command over his darker side. He could control his desire for revenge, he could control the insane amounts of anger he felt, sometimes towards the villagers, sometimes towards himself. Sometimes towards his father for sealing the Kyuubi inside of him. Yet, he never went berserk. He had the ultimate power at the palm of his hands, the power to the most powerful demon ever to walk on earth and yet he did not let it corrupt him.

Sasuke was different. As he looked at his long time rival he noted that he was easily enslaved by his emotions. He may be stoic and cold on the outside yet on the inside he was burning with so much negative emotions that he could never be peaceful with himself.

"Why! Why didn't you tell me!" Sasuke hissed at him. His rage coloring his words as he gazed into the impassive eyes of the most important person in his life.

"Don't kid yourself." Naruto said. He had no illusions, he loved the boy that did not mean that he was an Uchiha fan girl to show him a pretty picture. His eyes were hard and his voice like honey over steel, soft yet stern. "You think I trusted the bastard who said to my face that I was his friend so he needed to kill me? I worked my ass off so I could get you back and I wasn't going to send you back out again."

He did not miss the sudden tensing of Sasuke's body but he continued, "What happened with Itachi is over and done with. I have had five years trying to adjust myself to that incident. And I have. Me killing Itachi is not going to erase his touch off my skin nor is it going to wipe that incident off my memory."

Sasuke stood dumbfounded. What could he say to such a declaration? Shaking his head he practically growled, "You mean you forgive him for what he has done while you will not forgive me for my mistake?"

Naruto smiled gently at Sasuke. His whole countenance softened as he looked into Sasuke's desperate eyes. "How can I not forgive you Sasuke? You forget that I know you too well, I know what you have gone through and I am not immune to the violent emotions that tend to cloud lonely hearts. I understand, and what I trying to do is make you understand." Closing his eyes he said, "It is partly my fault. You needed a friend more than a rival. Think about it Sasuke, if I would have come to you saying that your brother raped me would you have stayed and supported me or ran off to find your brother for revenge."

Sasuke closed his eyes and accepted the truth in Naruto's judgment, scowling slightly he asked, "He did it to anger me didn't he? He did it because he knew that if you were capable of bringing me back that meant you were important to me." Naruto tilted his head to the side and smirked. His eyes glittering with mirth silently saying that he knew something that Sasuke did not. The Uchiha wondered at this, how could a person go through a series of tormenting events all his life and still come out looking as though he was a coddled innocent child?

Sasuke was well aware that Naruto had it more difficult that him. Something he realized needed a lot more strength to face, he finally realized that Naruto was no weakling. He knelt before the fox boy and asked, "Why take so long? Why at all leave?" Naruto sighed tiredly and said, "You won't give this up would you?" Sasuke shook his head as a negative. Naruto smiled again, it felt good to know that Sasuke cared for him. His smiled never faltered as he recalled a traumatic event in his life and the painful night when he left his beloved village.

"How could I protect this village if I could not even protect myself?" he looked at the sky with, his eyes were glazed over as the gentle expression lingered on his face. "I had to make myself stronger and that I could not do here. People were against me Sasuke, they never wanted me to grow. Outside even though they know about the kitsune they treated me with respect and honor. I was never shunned. Many people were willing to take me as their student. Wherever I went they would teach me all they know. Mothers would coddle me, fathers would teach me alongside their sons." Sharp blue eyes turned to look directly into obsidian as Naruto said, "I needed that. I needed to realize that I am something. I have some value. That I am a human not a monster these people believe me to be."

He ran his fingers through sun kissed hair, "Itachi wanted to break my spirit, my determination to survive. He wanted to make me weak and in turn he made me stronger than ever. Its ironic isn't it? I don't know whether to curse him or to thank him." He proffered a mischievous grin as he said, "Your genius brother forgot that the fox inside me would never let his host become weak. He took over my body as healed everything. He went to Tsunade-baachan and demanded that I should be permitted to leave this village. He threatened her." Naruto chuckled.

"She of course agreed and gave him all the papers I would require. He stayed in control of my body for weeks and we went to our first settlement. It was a demon settlement and he spoke to their leader. When I was handed control of my body once again I was nearly ready to die." Keeping a gentle hand on his stomach were the seal was he said, "Kyuubi and the other demons took care of me as though I was their child. They taught me strength of mind. Kyuubi says that the mind is were a person is always weak. If the mind is devoid of weakness you can be as strong in body as you want."

Shaking his head slightly he chuckled, "But that is not want you'd want to hear is it Sasuke?" Looking up at the Uchiha boy kneeling in front of him he said, "You and Itachi look so similar. Just like brothers ought to be. But you feel so different." Looking thoughtfully at the distasteful expression on Sasuke's face he said, "Itachi tried so many times to catch me. He wanted me with him, I escaped him narrowly a couple of times during my travels. In Konoha I would have been a sitting duck. That is one of the other reasons why Kyuubi wanted me to leave."

"And the other reason?" Sasuke asked quietly for the first time. He was a little calm now but that did not mean his anger was stated, _'I am gonna kill the bastard that next time I see his face!'_

Naruto seemed a little nervous though he hid it well and answered, "That is for me to know. Anyways, now that Itachi knows I am here he will come for me. He already thinks that I am weak because I kept running from him which is something he believes is out of character for me." Sasuke scoffed and said, "Well you are a mindless fool who'd jump into battles." Naruto did not retort to that. "I will wait for the day he comes for me. I have a lot to thank him for after all." Naruto said with an insane smirk on his visage.

Naruto walked across the village feeling slightly uncomfortable. Although there were no hateful glares from the villagers, there were curious glances. Each step he took he feared that people would recognize him. Kyuubi had skillfully concealed his whisker marks a long time before they entered this village. Although the fox did not provide him with the reason for that Naruto was grateful. He saw girls his age looking at him and giggling and blushing. Digging his hands into his pockets he sighed, although he had faced this in all villages it was unnerving to have Konoha girls swoon over him. Shaking his head to get rid of his though process he let his sharp gaze devourer the sigh of his village.

The village had not changed that much. There was the same air of warmth and cheerfulness surrounding his home. He smiled a pleasant smile at a few greeting people. When he reached his favorite ramen stand he groaned at the sight of almost everyone of his friends. Neiji and Sasuke were sitting facing each other. Glaring. Sakura and Ino were bickering. Lee and Kiba were yelling. Shikamaru was yawning. Choji was eating. And Hinata was blushing. Nothing out of the ordinary.

His body just ached to turn around and leave. In all these years of traveling he had developed a solitary attitude that rivaled the Uchiha's. Crowds just did not sit well with him. He just started to turn to leave when a loud shrill rang out. "KIYOSHI-KUN!" Naruto cursed inwardly and turned around again. He plastered a tight smile on his face and walked over.

Ino quickly latched onto his one arm and asked, "So Kiyoshi-kun.. How do you like our village so far? And how about our people. If you want I can be your tour guide." Naruto shuddered at the sugary sweet tone she used and spared a glance at the twitching Sasuke. He was glaring oddly at Ino. Naruto just shrugged and slowly escaped Ino's grasp and sat between Shikamaru and Sasuke. Safe territory.

Sasuke smirked at Naruto and whispered into the blond's ear, "Looks like you have a fan girl _Kiyoshi-kun." _Naruto growled at Sasuke, finding the Uchiha's sly expression very disturbing. Shaking his head he turned to observe each of his friends. They had all changed somewhat. It was as if they were now polished and refined diamonds. They seemed stronger and more collected. There was a sense of maturity amongst them, even though it was hard to notice.

Eyes glittering with mirth and softening with content his sat silently watching them go crazy and have fun pulling each other's legs and fighting over silly things. The familiarity of scene before him brought a small smile on his face.

But of course he had no idea how beautiful that small smile was and the look of serenity on his face gave him a peaceful allure. If Sasuke did not have so much self restraint he would have just kept gazing at the boy throughout the evening. He did though notice that all the girls did have dreamy eyed looks on their faces when they were looking at Naruto.

Friendly chaos ensued and they enjoyed themselves until it was time to go home. Sasuke and Naruto walked silently through the village. None wanted to say anything to break the companionable silence between them. Besides, Sasuke was never the one to start conversations while Naruto had stopped filling meaningful silences with words a long time ago.

However, it did not go unnoticed by Sasuke that Naruto was heading towards a hotel. He frowned and asked, "Oi, dobe what happened to your apartment?" Naruto sighed and thought, _'He is never going to get that particular word out of his system is he?'_ Naruto continued on his way and said, "Apartment leaves me cold. I am here for finishing with Itachi anyway. After that I'll leave this village so why bother?"

It was only when his arm was caught in a vice like grip did he realize his mistake. A low, soft voice spoke up, "What did you just say?" Naruto schooled himself to a nonchalant expression and said, "Just what you heard Sasuke. I'm not staying in this village for more time than necessary." Sasuke forced him to turn around and face him and said, "Why I thought you loved this village. You look so peaceful here! Why are you going when you want to protect this village?"

Naruto let out a small mirthless laugh and said, "Protect this village? That was when I left it Sasuke." He tried to pry his arm off Sasuke's grip but failed and glared at the raven haired boy. "It's my life Sasuke. I am entitled to my own decisions." The boy did not let go as he calmly replied, "If that is so then why did you bother to bring me back from Orochimaru? Wasn't it my life then?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke with narrowed angry eyes and growled, "There's a difference and you know it. Moreover, the village needed you and they do not need me."

"But I need you." Naruto froze and stared at Sasuke with wide eyes. "Or don't I matter anymore?" Naruto did not know what to say. He stared helplessly as Sasuke lifted his hand and caressed his soft cheek and whispered, "Is that it Naruto?" Rough fingers trailed across his lips, a touch which hid a kind of desperation, a desperation that he could clearly see in Sasuke's eyes. He took a hesitant step forward as Sasuke tugged on his arm and gazed, mesmerized into the bottomless obsidian eyes in front of him. His throat went dry and he struggled but could not tare his eyes away from Sasuke's.

Leaning forward Sasuke did not know what the hell he was doing. He did not fail to notice that Naruto did not protest either. The expression on Naruto's face seemed that of wonder and a little fear. Sasuke had never planned on seeing fear in Naruto' eyes and cursed himself silently. He forgot how much he looked like Itachi to begin with.

Smiling softly he whispered in Naruto's ear, "Come home with me Naruto. Stay with me..." At those soft coaxing words Naruto's eyes glazed over and he dumbly nodded. Unable to repress a shiver that went through him when Sasuke's warm breath landed on his neck and a brief touch of his lips lingered on his skin as though branding him.

Red sharingan eyes glittered in the darkness as a slight smirk formed on a normally emotionless face.

What he had suspected had been right all along. He knew of the blond's hold on his little brother and on several others such as the all mighty hokage Tsunade and the legendary sanin Jiraiya. The boy was their weakness and the boy was weak to him. He is going to utilize his power over the broken blond to his advantage. With a final glance at the direction of the two he left.

AN: Reviews review... Do I deserve them? Please tell me how this is going. Suggestions welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 3: The reason

AN: Thank you for waiting patiently. I know I promised Naru/Sasu intimate talks, but I will bring it in the next chapter. This chapter is angsty. Sorry for that too. I hope you like it.

_Pain, blinding and numbing spread throughout his body. His eyes were glazed over with an amount of hurt he had never faced in his life. What could he call such a pain, a pain that came from wounded his dignity and pride, his self confidence and his purity? _

_His whole body seem to ache in places he had never imagined. Blood, beautiful crimson flowed through various wounds that now adorned his being. Pitiful whimpers seemed to be the only sounds that ensued from his throat. _

_His attacker's painted nails dug into his soft skin, marring the golden mass may be for life. Merciless fingers sought to leave their mark on untainted and untouched flesh, aching to cause the most damage._

_Nothing would compare to the scars that were being inflicted on his very soul. The innocence that was the essence of his being and his recognition was lost in this act of cruelty. His flawless skin was not perfect anymore. His virgin mind could not even comprehend what was happening to him. He cried out when sharp rocks dug into his back, deepening the wounds already inflicted by those cursed nails that were like talons of demons. _

"_Stop... What would you gain from this... please!"_ _His voice did not have its previous volume, it was a hoarse whisper. His pleas were ignored with a small smirk so familiar yet so different from the one he was used to. His body arched off the ground to avoid more damage to the burning flesh of his back. His head connected painfully with the rocky surface making him gasp._

_Tears clouded his beautiful eyes, so innocent and so wide with horror that it was wonder his assailant was unaffected by it. Those very eyes gazed helplessly at the murderous ones above. The red eyes were emotionless, dispassionate. They seemed detached, unconcerned of the horror he was inflicting on that adolescent demon carrier._

_Trapped in a world of pain and despair, he could only whisper weakly, "Stop it... it hurts.. please.."_

Naruto locked his hollow gaze with the person standing in front of him. Pearly eyes bored into his seemingly searching his soul. He did not flinch away from those penetrating eyes. His own crystalline blue gaze sharpened and his lips twitched in a slight smirk.

"You are too smart for your own good Neiji." He spoke warmly to his friend. Shaking his head slightly he looked at the sky and murmured, "Not that I expected Kakashi's plan to work. Whatever his plan was anyway..." Neiji smirked slightly, even though it was barely visible Naruto could see it. The Hyuuga boy settled down beside him and spoke softly, "You should not have left.. There were people who were worried about you Naruto."

The fox boy grinned and turned to face Neiji, a familiar friendly expression on Naruto's face proved to Neiji that a lie was in order for Naruto. He sighed mentally. "What's life without a little bit of adventure and exploring Neiji? I know much..."

"I know why you left so you can stop with the lies." He said abruptly.

Naruto did not show any reaction to that declaration, he just relaxed and smiled cheerfully, "Do you now, Neiji?" He knew that Neiji knew nothing of why Naruto left the village. The blond haired boy was calm as he started off at the sky that matched the color of his eyes not expecting Neiji to answer. But the Hyuuga did, and his answer shocked the Kyuubi holder to the core.

"I saw it all, I heard your screams but he had some jutsu on me that held me still, I could not move to help you and had to see everything helplessly." came Neiji's voice, bland and cold even though his countenance showed and lot of anger.

_His bright orange clothing lay abandoned and torn somewhere as his assailant straddled his waist. His breathing was raspy, painful because of the broken ribs piercing his lungs at every moment. He prayed that Kyuubi let him die for once, anything that would end this pain._

_A silent scream tore through his throat as sharp teeth dug into his shoulder._

_A calm voice, seemingly devoid of any sign of life whispered in his ear, "You are a hindrance Naruto-kun, or should I say your strong will is a hindrance. I cannot kill you for the precious cargo you carry within you. So I'll do the next best thing, I will kill your soul and hamper your greatest weapon.. your will." A finger trailed gently down his chest, the seemingly tender touch held the promise of death_, _a very painful death._

_Naruto gasped when cold fingers found purchase of his golden hair and tugged it viciously, reveling the long, slender column of his neck. Red eyes gained a glint at the sight of the unmarked golden skin. He brought his fingers up to brush against the fascinatingly smooth mass as he said, "So tragically beautiful."_

_His touch felt like a slide of slime against his skin. He shuddered in repulsion, trying to escape the polluting touch but found yet again that he cannot move._

How much could a child at that age bear. It was a height then, even with his extreme tolerance to physical and emotional pain. So he fled, he fled from the village that did not seem to care.

Neiji observed the demon carrier through shrewd eyes and was surprised to see that Naruto's expression was as bland as before. His eyes had the same icy glint as he always carried these days, nothing about Neiji's declaration seemed to affect Naruto. Then again, he was thinking about the master of facades here. Even as a child Naruto was an expert in hiding himself under and foolproof mask. Not even Uchiha's cold countenance could surpass the cheery smokescreen that Naruto had put up all these years.

_'A genius under the cloak of an utter fool..'_ Neiji thought as he continued his silent inspection of the boy was even more baffled by the soft smirk that found a way to his companion's visage.

Neiji let out a silent laugh. All his life the Uchiha sulked around staying silent in an attempt to not to draw attention he drew all the attention, however...

"You intrigue me Uzumaki Naruto." At that statement Naruto turned around to look at him, his expression that of curiosity. Pearly eyes closed and a small smile curved at his lips as he answered the silent question. "All your life you claimed that you wanted everybody's attention. You were loud and boosting. I realized it was a classic case of reverse psychology later on. When you are being loud and stupid people promptly ignore you."

At that Naruto laughed, a soft sensuous laugh that sent a shiver down Neiji's spine. "You read too much into things Neiji. It's true that I lied to everybody... I was afraid to show them my true self for the fear that they may destroy it. I guess in a way you are right. May be it was a deception." he muttered thoughtfully, a smile gracing his features. It was a smile of a person wise enough to know how to run his life to his benefit. It was a smile of a selfish person. His following words all but confirmed it.

"There are millions of people around me. That does not mean that I have to see for all their needs.. I am a ninja, true. It is my duty to serve this village, but my duty has its boundaries. I am not a slave, I am an employee of the Hokage. That is how it is and how it will always be. I don't need to fear people for I no longer care." Neiji looked at Naruto with somewhat startled eyes. That was something that he thought would never slip out of Uzumaki Naruto's lips.

"You have changed.." Neiji declared softly.

Naruto sighed and relaxed by stretching his legs and spoke, "May be I have, I dare say, grown up." he smirked, a smirk full of mockery. "They are all lies... every time I repeat these words they become more and more false and artificial." He laughed then, at Neiji's confused expression. "That's just me, Uzumaki Naruto, the idiot who would rather die before let anyone else die before his eyes.. the idiot who cares for people who would rather have him dead and rotting in hell. No matter how much I try, it is always like that. No matter how much I tell myself not to care, i always end up caring."

He laughed at the irony of it all, "I am talking in contradictions, aren't I? I hate this place for all its foolishness yet I love for the simple reason that it is my home. Love.. it over powers it all."

His eyes become solemn as he said, "That is what Itachi wanted to kill that night you know... He wanted to erase that compassion and the strength I gained from that compassion simply because he could not understand. Unknowingly to him, the more pain I suffer, the stronger I become. I don't know if I should be thankful for that incident or mourn the loss of something I may never regain."

For once Neiji was speechless, how could a boy such as Naruto speak with such forgiveness in his voice for a person as vile as Itachi. Then again, how could he not. Naruto was a constant contradiction within himself.

"I left that night because I did not want Sasuke to find out, I had barely managed to bring him back to sanity the last time. I did not have the strength to do it again. He would have surely gone after Itachi if he found out that his best friend was raped by his brother just to agitate him. Later on he would blame himself. I did not want that."

_His soul shattered into a thousand little peaces when his body was invaded. Wide eyes still gazing at the crimson once above him lost their luster with each thrust. The smirk of triumph that graced Itachi's face only made it worse for him. His could feel himself slipping away, he could feel sanity slipping through his fingers. _

_Pain made its way throughout his body, eliciting a moan from his throat. A grave mistake, for Itachi wanted to hear more noises like that for the blond underneath him. Itachi seemed to rejoice in the destruction of his soul. He seemed to love the fact that he was corrupting the most innocent person he had ever met. His smile conveyed as much._

"_How beautiful you are.." he whispered. "A container holding something so tainted is the epitome of purity and innocence. I love it... I love to see your eyes at this very moment." Something inside of his shattered at the moment. His back arched off the ground, his eyes falling shut decorated with crystalline tears._

"_Go tell your beloved Sasuke what happened Naruto-kun.. Cry on his shoulder as you tell him that I once again took from him what was rightfully his and he could do nothing."_

_Even through his haze Naruto could comprehend what Itachi was saying and still did not understand what he meant by those words. Blood tickled round his thighs and stained the ground crimson_. _Naruto felt the pleasurable shiver that went through Itachi on his skin as the older Uchiha breathed against his neck saying, "I will have you Naruto-kun.. again and again. You are MINE."_

Naruto jolted out of thoughts when Neiji rose from his seat and said, "You are a complex individual Naruto yet I suggest you try to trust your friends even if they are few. And I suggest you trust Sasuke the most." With that the Hyuuga left.

Naruto sighed and folded his arms under his head. Smiling to himself he said, "Sometimes in life you need to forgive and forget. To dwell on painful events would only cause more pain and anger and shatter your inner peace." wise words for someone so young yet he knew they were true.

It did not hurt that much anymore. The pain had been immense during the first few days of his travels. Emotional wounds took a lot of time to heal. It was a good thing he did not stay in the village, his travels taught him a lot. He had learned many new jitsus, improved on his skills. Over the years he also learned to melt into the shadows in large crowds.

His hand unconsciously went to the junction of his neck and shoulder. An old bruise, a perfect crescent lingered there, tainting the soft, glowing skin.

_Cold eyes looked down on him as he lay crumpled on the ground, bloody and bruised. Sinful fingers ran down one single mark on the blond's neck and he chuckled. "Feel that mark Naruto-kun. Let it remind you, every minute and every day of your life who you belong to." With the the older Uchiha left him._

His eyes fell shut at that particular memory and a shuddering sigh escaped his lips. Not particularly happy so as to where his train of thought was heading he frowned, trying to divert his thoughts.

After a few seconds though reason presented itself as Sasuke walked over to him. Opening one eye he assessed his former teammate and asked, "Why are you imposing on one of my more serene moments?" Sasuke did not respond. His eyes held a glint that immediately told Naruto that he would not like what is going to come.

The Uchiha heir knelt beside him and brushed the scar on his neck causing him to shudder and pull away. Before Naruto could escape though, Sasuke had his chin in his grasp as he questioned huskily, "What did he do... gods tell me what did that bastard do!"

The only thought that went through Naruto's mind at that moment was, _'Don't get angry...'_

AN: I know this is a little confusing but Naruto is confused right now. I will try to clear everything in the coming chapters. R&R please


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Familiar Stranger..

Chapter: The Kid.

Sasuke walked through the corridor silently. The peace of early mornings lingered around him, the sun's rays crawling under the closed doors and invading the darkness. The faint noise of birds chirping reached his ears and also the creaking of floorboards.

The Uchiha frowned; his feet weren't making the sound. With the sense of a ninja, Sasuke carefully examined each room searching for the noise until he came upon the room where his Naruto slept. There were muted, cautious footsteps coming from the room. By the noise the floorboards made he could tell that the invader was deliberately trying to be as quiet as possible, not that he was succeeding.

He concentrated, trying to detect the intruder's chakra. He could sense a trace of Naruto's unique chakra unmoving, it served to confirm his suspicion that someone with good chakra control was trying to sneak up on the unsuspecting blond. He could barely sense the other chakra, it was too low, which indicated that this person might suck at stealth but his chakra control was very good.

His fingers found his ever-present kunai and he slowly grabbed the door handle. Making as little sound as possible he slipped the door open only to stare blankly at the scene before him.

A small boy, who looked around four to five years old, was walking cautiously towards Naruto's sleeping form on the bed. Small feet moved across the room with extraordinary care. Huge obsidian eyes were fixed on the blond, a frown of concentration forming between well-defined brows. Chubby hands were spread out on both sides as though the boy was trying to balance himself.

With a look of irritation, he shook of a lock of gleaming blue-black hair out of those innocent eyes, a small pout forming on his lips.

Sasuke, even though confused, could feel his lips twitch at the sight. _'This explains the low chakra and the lighter than light footsteps.'_ he thought. He decided to silently observe the proceedings.

Naruto let out a fake sound of surprise as the weight of the child hit him. Cracking his eyes open he peered dangerously at the boy who was straddling his waist and asked, "What are you doing here?" in a mock angry tone. The child's grin faltered at seeing Naruto's anger causing the blond to laugh softly.

Ruffling the child's hair he asked, "Where is Jiraiya-sensei? He was supposed to keep you away from Konoha." Naruto chuckled again when the boy before him pouted and said, "Oji-san said something 'bout me spoiling his research! He searched allll over the village for you. We couldn't find you nowhere, so then oji-san said something like 'That damned Uchiha must've taken the brat'" The child said in perfect imitation of the man. "Who is 'That damned Uchiha'?"

Naruto twitched and growled at the back of his throat, "Its not _damned_ Uchiha. It's just Uchiha; remember I told you about my old genin team. Uchiha Sasuke was my rival and best friend. And do not use the word _damned_. It is a bad word, I forbid you to use it." The boy nodded vigorously at that, seeing the serious expression on the blond's face.

"Where is Jiraiya-sensei now? How did you get here?" Naruto asked, frowning slightly.

The black haired boy shrugged expressively tilting his head to the side. "I don't know where he is. He left me here in your room and said something about not wanting to hear your bitchin' so early in the morning. What is bitchin' 'tousan?"

"Another word you shouldn't use." Naruto said sharply as his eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Remind me to kill a certain Toad-senin as soon as I get my hands on him." The child in front of him beamed and asked, "You'll beat him like the last time 'tousan? Like when he went all blue and black!" the child questioned excitedly. Big ebony eyes were shining with something akin to pride at the thought of his father beating up Jiraiya, who was much bigger than him.

Naruto chuckled, shaking his head from side to side. He brought the bouncing boy closer to allow the little head to settle under his chin and said, "Oh no, something much worse. How about we have breakfast and I'll take you to see Tsunade-baachan. She has been itching to see you ever since you were born. Then we can go visit grandfather's grave. How does that sound? You want to see him right?"

"Uh huh! Kyuubi-chan said that he was the only one who could defeat him in the entire village at that time. He sealed Kyuubi-chan inside you and now he can't get out. Was grandfather as strong as you 'tousan?" Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "No Daisuke, your grandfather was much, much stronger. He was the strongest Hokage ever. He gave up his life to seal Kyuu-chan inside me. He made a great sacrifice as a leader and as a father."

He kissed the little boy's head and said softly, "Something I am certain I could never do to you." Daisuke looked up, his gaze questioning, "Why? If I had someone like Kyuu-chan inside me, I'd also have his power! It's like grandpa gave you a birthday gift that would last you forever and ever. Ne 'tousan?"

Cerulean eyes glittered with pain, before they closed and said, "Hai little one. It is a birthday gift. However, not all demons are as nice as Kyuu-chan. Remember I told you about Gaara-san's demon after you met him for the first time?" Daisuke nodded, "You said that it was a bad demon and it always troubles Gaara-san! Oji-san said that Gaara-san is a bad person. 'Tousan, Gaara-san isn't a bad person, right? After all he brings me a lot of treats every time he comes to see us."

Naruto cocked one eye open and chuckled, "Oh, so just because Gaara brings you treats and gifts he is a good man? I should tell him about that."

"Ne 'tousan? Whose house is this? It is sooo big!" Daisuke whispered in awe. Wide ebony eyes gazed up at his father questioningly. "Oh, this is Sasuke's house. Speaking of which, I want you to be as quiet as possible. We have to leave here before he sees you little one."

Daisuke sat up and looked down at his father questioningly and asked, "Why?" Naruto sighed as he lifted his son by his waist and placed him on the other side of the bed. "Because, I don't want him to worry. It will just be another scar on his already battered heart. Alright?" Daisuke nodded.

_'It will just be another scar on his already battered heart...' _Sasuke repeated those words in his mind again and again. His gaze was trained on the blond as he spoke to his supposed son. Had Naruto gotten married? Is that why he thought the news of his son would hurt him? _'But I have the right to know. If he is married, I have every right to know! Who is the girl? Why did he get married so young? Was it because of the child?' _Various questions flew through his head.

His eyes were wide and clouded with confusion as he silently walked away, half in daze. He slipped into his room and quickly changed into his day clothes, coming to a decision. He had to find out more about Naruto and what he had done for the past few years.

As the blond readied himself and slipped out of the house with his son, Sasuke followed. Haunting questions in his mind accompanied the dull throb of his heart. Naruto was right; this was another scar on his heart, to know that his blond was no longer his. There was some girl out there that had ensnared the heart of his former teammate. Why were the things he wanted always out of reach? He had desired Naruto more than anything in his life, even more than the revenge he sought.

Naruto had been his anchor to sanity. All he wanted was to get lost in the warmth that seemed to cling to the blond. He wanted to leave everything open, the pain, the hatred, and the anguish. He knew Naruto was the only one who could understand. Naruto had been his companion in darkness. When he had betrayed Konoha to gain power, it was Naruto who brought him back. Unlike others, the blond understood, he didn't like it, but he understood.

Naruto was the only one who didn't point accusing fingers at him. He was the only one who understood his desire for power and his foolishness. To lose Naruto now...

To lose Naruto now would be like losing everything he ever had.

With expert ease he followed the blond who was too focused on smiling and laughing with his son to notice him. Naruto's speed was incredible and he wasn't even trying. He gracefully jumped from rooftop to rooftop without missing a beat, all while listening to his son talking animatedly. From what Sasuke could tell, they were heading towards the Hokage tower. He tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, the blond was very skilled and he didn't want to get caught.

It didn't take long to arrive at the Hokage tower. The Guards looked at Naruto and smiled, surprising Sasuke. "Ohayou Uzumaki-san." Naruto just smiled at them and walked in.

Sasuke was confused, ever since he could remember the guards had treated Naruto like crap. Now all of a sudden they were treating him with respect. Shaking his head he focused on the voices coming from inside the room.

"So this is your son huh?" Tsunade said with a wide smile. The little child was just too cute, even though he looked nothing like Naruto. Large eyes peered at her in wonder and awe. Little hands were clutching Naruto's shirt in a death grip. The father absently ran his fingers through ebony hair and said, "Daisuke, this is the Hokage. Say hello."

The boy looked at his father then her and said in a small voice, "Hello." It was obvious that the kid was intimidated. She gave Daisuke a small comforting smile and reached forward to ruffle his hair. "He looks nothing like you." she whispered in fascination.

Yes, the kid looked nothing like Naruto but he was the spitting image of his other parent. She could see it and it pained her. She could only imagine the kind of pain Naruto went through. The little boy was so innocent and yet like Naruto he was cursed right from his birth. She lifted her head to look into somber blue eyes. "I thought you didn't want him here so soon."

"I didn't want him here, period. Jiraiya-sensei really dug his grave this time. How many times do I have to tell you that I cannot stay Tsunade?" Naruto said icily. Tsunade glared at the blond while Daisuke flinched at his tone. Naruto dropped a kiss on the little boy's head and whispered, "Why don't you go play with Aunt Shizune for a while little one? I need to talk to the Hokage."

Daisuke nodded and slid off Naruto's lap. He walked towards Shizune who took him to another room.

The moment the boy left the room all hell broke loose. Tsunade slammed her palm on the desk and glared openly at Naruto and said, "You are a ninja of Konoha Naruto. You are a valuable asset to the village and I am not letting you go." Yondaime's son raised one regal eyebrow at her and asked, "Asset Tsunade? I have a son to raise and I will not let him be a target for the village's maliciousness towards me. My son will grow up without the hatred and loneliness that I suffered."

Tsunade flinched. She hated to do this. She hated this job because of this but when the council head, Hyuuga Hiashi, found documents identifying Naruto as Yondaime's son, the whole council was outraged.

They wanted the Uzumaki heir back in the village. It didn't matter whether he was the Kyuubi's carrier or not. All that mattered was that the boy was Yondaime's son and he needed to be in the village. Determination seeped into her gaze as she glared at the man in front of her once again and said, "Naruto, you are the Uzumaki heir. Your son has both Uzumaki and Uchiha blood running through his veins. I am not letting that go!"

Naruto stood up and brought his face close to hers and said in a cold and angry tone, "Don't you dare! Don't you dare to turn my son into some commodity for the village. Daisuke will not be a ninja." Tsunade's jaw dropped at that declaration. The man she considered her younger brother looked her straight in the eyes and said, "If you touch him Tsunade, if anyone, and I mean anyone knows that he is an Uchiha, I will pull at all of my clans power."

Tsunade stumbled back in shock. Her eyes widened. "Nani!"

Naruto sat down calmly and said, "You know as well as I that the Uzumaki clan is not confined to Konoha. As the clan heir I can reside in any village I wish, any village where the Uzumaki clan resides. If I am not mistaken, Hidden Pearl is one of those villages with an Uzumaki stronghold."

"Naruto you cannot do this!" Tsunade looked at him with desperate eyes. "You are my successor. How can you think of giving up so easily?" Naruto looked at her with narrowed eyes and then sighed sadly, "Please understand Tsunade. If Uzumaki bloodline is not enough, he also has the Uchiha bloodline. Didn't you and the Third hide the fact that I was Yondaime's son because of this? Because of my bloodline? If they catch hold of my son Tsunade... I cannot live without him, I'll die."

Running his fingers through his unruly hair he said, "Is it so wrong for me to want my son to be safe?" Tsunade's eyes softened as he spoke. "Naruto, we are all here to keep him safe. And I am sure Sasuke wouldn't let anything happen to him, even if Itachi is his father."

Naruto groaned and shook his head and said, his voice quivering slightly, "If you couldn't keep me safe Tsunade, how can I expect my son to be safe? Can you guarantee that no one in Konoha would glare at him just because he is my son, born from my body? They'd probably start thinking that he has a part of Kyuubi in him." He looked up at her with solemn eyes. "I cannot subject him to that kind of life. Staying in Konoha is very risky, if Itachi found out... I can't Tsunade."

He stood up and walked towards the window. Placing a hand on the cool glass he said, "People will know when his Sharingan awakens. He is already showing signs of the awakening of my bloodline. The silver rings are appearing randomly these days, when he is angry or startled. And it is very clear in black eyes Tsunade. In my eyes one can hardly notice the change, in his eyes it is visible. Itachi will know when he sees my bloodline with his looks that he has unknowingly sired a son."

Tsunade rubbed her temples. Naruto had a valid point. The blond was already in lot of danger just for having the Uzumaki bloodline and Kyuubi inside him. Having a son with both Sharingan and Mejiro (Silvereye) put Naruto in even more danger. Itachi wouldn't hesitate to use Daisuke against him; the man had no sense of love.

Daisuke would become Naruto's greatest weakness if anyone found out about him but Tsunade couldn't bring herself to separate father and son. She came to a decision. Looking Naruto straight in the eye she said, "Naruto, if you leave Konoha now I'll declare you as a missing-nin. This is your home. Believe it or not, Konoha is the safest place for you to be for now."

Naruto turned to gaze at her with wild silver eyes. "Tsunade..." he growled in warning.

The Hokage just shook her head and avoided looking into those silver rings. "Listen to me for once. I let you leave because Kyuubi threatened me. I agree that at that point you needed to get away, but you can't keep running with a child. Let him grow up here, in your village, in your father's village. He is Uzumaki Naruto's son and Uzumaki Arashi's grandson, two of the strongest people Konoha has ever seen."

Tsunade looked at Naruto and said, "Please Naruto. I cannot lose you. Think of your father. He wanted you to protect this village. He wanted you to be the hero of this village." Naruto closed his eyes and sat down heavily on the couch.

He knew he could pull on all his clans' power but then that could create unnecessary trouble for Konoha. Moreover, the news of him being of that blood and possessing the Mejiro would spread. He didn't want that but he knew if Tsunade carried out her threat he would need his clan support.

"Give me the keys to the Uzumaki estate." Naruto said blandly. Tsunade protested, "But Naruto... everybody will know!"

He nodded saying with the authority of an Uzumaki clan heir, "Let them know. I don't care what they say or do to me. However, let it be clear that they'll have hell to pay if they even glance at my child the wrong way." He stood up and straightened his back; "I want the keys to my home, all the Uzumaki scrolls and the sword. Inform the council." He turned and called, "Shizune."

The girl came back with a sleeping Daisuke in her arms. Naruto walked over and took his son, but his stern expression didn't change any as he said, "If he is to grow up in Konoha, he will grow up as an Uzumaki, not as an Uchiha. He is Uzumaki Daisuke Tsunade, remember that." Turning to her he held his hand out. "The keys please."

Tsunade sighed in resignation and took the keys from a hidden cabinet in her desk and handed them to Naruto. The blond took them and said, "Have the scrolls and the sword delivered to my house."

That is all he said as he walked out of the room and exited the tower in a blur of motion.

Shizune looked at Tsunade with concerned eyes. "Tsunade-sama?" The Hokage shook her head and said, "That's all I can do to keep him in the village Shizune. I cannot overrule the Uzumaki clan simply because the clan belongs to no particular village. We should be thankful that Arashi was and Naruto continues to be loyal to Konoha."

Shizune tilted her head to the side and asked, "Why are you so reluctant to let Naruto-kun have his heritage?" Tsunade looked at Shizune and then out of the window, "Arashi wanted him to know. His last request to the Third before he died was for Naruto to know everything, but Sandaime was uncertain. He didn't want Naruto to grow up fearing his own bloodline."

Shizune sighed. "Yes, but he grew up with even worse fears. Had the villagers known that he was of that blood, they'd have treated him better."

"I know." Tsunade sighed. "But sensei acted selfishly. He didn't want to lose another Uzumaki."

Sasuke slowly slid down the wall, his eyes wide and his skin deathly pale. Shivering fingers buried themselves deep into ebony hair. The enormity of what he just heard hit him from all sides. It made sense, the fact that the boy so resembled the Uchihas. He couldn't even comprehend what had happened, what Naruto had gone through. He couldn't comprehend the fact that Naruto's body could go beyond its natural function. To create the little life he now so proudly called his son.

But he couldn't deny the truth of it. He couldn't deny the fact that the boy unmistakably looked like him, like his brother. He looked like an Uchiha.

He shot up when Naruto zipped past him with blinding speed to reach his house. Sasuke did not wait to follow. Before he could lose sight of the blond his arm shot out and caught a slender wrist and he pulled Naruto to his chest.

"Why! Why do you insist on keeping secrets from me?" Sasuke growled looking down at the face of the person he loved so dearly. Naruto blinked a few times to get rid of the surprise of someone interrupting his speed and then frowned, "What are you talking about? Let go of my arm!" Naruto hissed. Sasuke brought his face close to the blond, oblivious to the child sleeping in his father's embrace and said, "When were you going to tell me that you had Itachi's son?"

Naruto's eyes widened in surprised before he pushed Sasuke away and growled, "You heard? You followed me, you bastard!"

Sasuke's vice like grip on Naruto's wrist didn't loosen. Naruto felt the familiar burn of a bruise forming. The Uchiha leaned forward and met the blond eye to eye, "How long were you planning on keeping this from me? Until the boy got his Sharingan? Or were you going to forever hide the fact that he is an Uchiha?"

"Uchiha?" Naruto sneered. "Daisuke is not an Uchiha. He is an Uzumaki and will always be. I gave birth to him and I raised him, he has my and my father's blood running through his veins."

Sasuke's gaze softened as he brought his hand up to caress a smooth cheek. "Why won't you let me help you? Please trust me Naruto. We can raise him together, protect him together." His gaze fell on the child for a moment before he raised it to meet the distraught cerulean eyes again. He strengthened his resolve and dared to venture into feelings he had kept inside for quite some time. Wasn't he the one who had wanted a second chance? This was his second chance.

"Just give me a chance, itoshii. I promise nothing and no one will hurt you or your son."

AN: Sorry I took so long to update but I had my midterms to consider. I'll try updating sooner.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Familiar stranger...

Chapter six: The offer.

"Just give me a chance, itoshii. I promise nothing and no one will hurt you or your son."

Naruto stilled, his eyes closing in resignation as he asked, "Why can't you stay out of my life Sasuke?" Despite the question, there was a small lingering smile on his lips that the brunette did not miss. He brought his hand up to caress the pale cheek of the new Uchiha heir and smiled, "What would you do if you were in my shoes Naruto?" Leaning in he grasped the blond's chin. Glorious blue eyes looked at him uncertainly. "He is your son, I won't dispute that. He is an Uzumaki, he'll be raised like one. I... I just want to be a part of it Naruto."

Brushing his thumb across a tanned cheek he murmured, "I want to be a part of you. A part of your life and I want you to be a part of mine." Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought.

When he came to Konoha, he wasn't planning on so much to happen. He just wanted to reveal himself, finish his problem with Itachi and leave to settle down at Hidden pearl with his family. That's the kind of life he wanted for Daisuke, peaceful and secure. Jiraiya did an awful mistake when he brought Daisuke to Konoha. His eyes gained a silvery glint as he looked at the man he loved for so long. "You know how it feels Sasuke? How I feel right now?"

Sasuke frowned as Naruto continued, "In my arms I have my son, who also happens to be the son of an S-class criminal. He possesses two of th most powerful bloodlines to ever exist in the history of leaf. People still hunt me for my eyes as they hunt you for yours. Moreover, we have the Akatsuki that would do anything to get the Kyuubi in me. I have a family in Hidden Pearl yet Tsunade would make me a missing-nin if I leave leaf and people here still hate me for being alive. What would you do if you were in my shoes Sasuke?"

Sasuke had nothing to say to that. That way Naruto said it, he felt that they were being selfish and very unfair to Naruto. Closing his eyes he let go of Naruto and asked, "Give us a chance Naruto, please give _me_ a chance." He knew that he was at the point of begging but his pride didn't matter any more. No matter what Naruto said, Sasuke didn't believe that he would be safe outside Konoha. Naruto was the most stubborn person he knew, he just hoped that he still loved the village enough to stay.

The tense moment was broken when Daisuke shifted in Naruto's arms and buried his face in his father's chest. Sasuke felt his heart stop beating for a moment, the expression on Naruto's face when he looked down at him son stunned him. It was simply beautiful, his eyes were half-lidded and warm, his lips eased into a gentle smile. As he leaned down and kissed his son's forehead he whispered, "I'm not as strong as father was, not in will, not in power."

Sasuke smiled. "No, you're stronger."

xxx

Tsunade narrowed her eyes on Jiraiya as he walked into her office with a very serious face.

"You are doing him great injustice Tsunade." Jiraiya stated, gazing straight into her eyes. "He belongs in this village Jiraiya. This is his home, his father sacrificed himself to save this village. How can he just ignore such a heritage? He's letting his father's sacrifice go into waste."

Jiraiya leaned back and said, "Naruto is like a son to me Tsunade. I would never have brought Daisuke here if it hadn't been for you."

"I am doing what's good for him." She said resolutely, ignoring Jiraiya's icy countenance. The toad sannin leaned forward, "Good for him? You are being selfish. You know that there is no other person fit for the position of Rokudaime, you know that there is no way any shinobi can get stronger than Naruto. And sacrifice Tsunade? Arashi got the easy way out! Naruto is the living sacrifice, everyday, every moment. He is paying for Arashi's sacrifice. What good are you doing to him? Forcing him to stay in a village that would rather have him dead? Letting his son face the heat and hatred from the villagers just for being Naruto's son."

He looked at Tsunade straight in the eyes, "That boy has been raised with such care and love Tsunade that it will break him if he faces the same hatred as Naruto. I admit he has got potential to be a shinobi. However, I am warning you Tsunade, if the boy comes back with even a single tear on his face Naruto would raise hell on earth."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. The toad sannin went on, not bothered by the anger in her eyes. "Konoha has never been good to him and you are using him as a mere commodity."

"What exactly are you accusing me of?" Tsunade hissed, her eyes glittering in rage. "I love the brat and I don't want to see him hurt anymore than you do." The Hokage sighed and closed her eyes, "And this is not solely my decision. Hiashi-sama and the elders' council insisted that Naruto should be brought back. My hands are tied Jiraiya. He is an Uzumaki Heir, they are not going to let him go! Besides, if Naruto leaves now, I am dead certain that Uchiha Sasuke would follow him. He loves him."

Jiraiya snorted, his lips curling in disgust. "What's so new in that? Uchiha Itachi loves him too."

"What did you say?" The chair stumbled back as Tsunade abruptly stood up and glared at the other sannin. Jiraiya looked nonchalant, his eyes looking bored and his posture lazy. "Exactly what you heard woman. Naruto doesn't know this, but Uchiha Itachi loves the brat, may be even more than the younger Uchiha does."

"Who the hell goes on a rapes the person he loves?" Tsunade asked, her tone disbelieving. What Jiraiya said shocked and horrified her.

"A person who is under the influence of another form of cursed seal." Jiraiya replied calmly. He didn't look affected by what he just said. Sarcasm dripped from his tone as he stated, "Now we know the mystery behind the Uchiha massacre. Our beloved ex-teammate had found an ancient scroll and used the slavery seal that it contained to tame the genius Uchiha. Orochimaru still controls Itachi to an extent, but he cannot take over his body, the seal contaminates the very soul of the barer. Orochimaru has a personal Uchiha soldier to keep Akatsuki in check."

"You mean... You mean Itachi is innocent?"

"Yes, I do."

xxx

Sasuke watched as Naruto ran tender fingers along his son's cheek. Sasuke had agreed to stay with Naruto in the large and homely Uzumaki mansion. Its warm environment was the absolute opposite of the ghostly Uchiha district. Sasuke could see that this was the right environment for the boy to grow, rather than his house. They were currently in a room, which Sasuke presumed was made for Naruto by his parents. His blonde was kneeling by the bed, stroking his son's cheek as though trying to drown himself in the little boy's carefree innocence.

Naruto was aching inside, Sasuke could see that. His regal features were pinched, his eyes dark as he gazed down at his son. It was a look only a loving father could have. Naruto was worried about his son and Sasuke didn't blame him. The blond was just so young, Sasuke could only imagine what it would be like to be pregnant at the age of fifteen, and being a male at that.

"Sasuke." The young Uchiha snapped out of his daze and looked at Naruto. The troubled look in his eyes did not escape Sasuke's sharp gaze and he raised a questioning brow.

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out heavily. Giving his sleeping son's cheek one last loving caress he stood up and silently walked out of the room. The Uchiha glanced once at his nephew and followed Naruto, a small smile lingering on his lips.

The blond didn't speak a word as they walked down the stairs and sat near the fire place. Although Sasuke was eager to know as much as he could about the past five years, he kept quiet. He knew that Naruto would tell him, the expression on the blond's face pointed out as much.

Naruto leaned back and gazed at Sasuke with half lidded eyes. Those deep cerulean eyes reflected specks of dangerous silver of Naruto's mysterious bloodline. His eyes were searching, as though determining whether it was safe to tell his secrets to Sasuke. The Uchiha left himself open to Naruto, all barriers and walls down for him to explore.

Five years ago, Sasuke wouldn't have dared to show others what he was like on the inside. However, five years without Naruto by his side taught him more than he'd like to admit. There was nothing he needed to hide from Naruto. There was nothing he wanted to hide from him.

He relaxed slightly when he saw a small, hesitant smile grace Naruto's rosy lips.

"There is a lot you don't know Sasuke." Taking a deep breath Naruto continued, "If you heard a our conversation, you might know that I'm Yondaime's son and therefore the inheritor of his bloodline." Looking at Sasuke straight in the eye he smirked, "I don't think you'd like this, but you see Mejiro is an advanced form of Sharingan. Since Daisuke has both bloodlines, he got his eyes developed very early."

Sasuke leaned forward and frowned, "How come I'm not aware of this bloodline? After all, if this is an advanced form of Sharingan than I would been informed about it." Naruto sighed, "You knew of Mangekyou only because Itachi possesses it, right? Our bloodline is advanced and therefore only a few members of our family inherit the bloodline ability. It is odd that my father, Daisuke and I, all have Mejiro. It has never occurred in three consecutive generations."

"What does it do?" Sasuke asked, somewhat intrigued. Naruto shrugged, "The limits of it? Don't know. As it is the evolution of Sharingan, it has all the powers of the Sharingan. The only advantage your bloodline has over ours is that it can still predict our moves, which Mejiro cannot. And of course, we don't get Mangekyou in any shape or form." Sasuke's eyes widened marginally. There was another bloodline with the capability to copy jutsus. Surprisingly, Sasuke was not angry or jealous. However, he didn't understand how Mejiro was an advanced form when it actually lacked some of Sharingan's most useful tricks.

"However, that's not what makes Mejiro so feared and wanted." Naruto added. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the blond's obvious hesitance. He ran his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture, "It stills time Sasuke."

"Nani?" he asked, looked at Naruto sceptically. The blond sighed, "Activate your Sharingan." he commanded as his eyes glazed over and two simple silver rings appeared in his eyes, both rings were connected with spikes. Sasuke looked at those eyes in wonder before activating his Sharingan.

The air suddenly got heavy and before he ever knew it he found himself wincing. Bewildered, he raised his fingers to his cheek and felt slight wetness. He brought his fingers in front of his face and saw it covered with small amounts of blood. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Naruto who smirked at him. "Still don't believe me Sasuke?"

"H...how?"

"I told you I can still time. I can stop time for four seconds and that's more than enough for me to kill nearly six people." Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. Six people in four seconds was not something to joke about. Then again, if they were not fighting back and staying still it wouldn't be too difficult.

Naruto leaned back again, "However, Daisuke is at a serious disadvantage. In a few years Sharingan will manifest itself and hamper Mejiro's abilities. In a sense, Sharingan will be drowned out by Mejiro. However, Daisuke will loose his ability to copy jutsus along with the Sharingan." Sasuke pondered this for a moment. It didn't matter to him that their bloodlines clashed, what baffled him was the fact that he had never heard of such a power. Frowning slightly, he asked, "So Itachi never considered the possibility that having Kyuubi inside you could enable you to bear a child?"

Naruto laughed huskily and said, "I knew it! Sasuke, Kyuubi isn't the reason I got pregnant. Its my bloodline."

"What!" Sasuke exclaimed, incredulous. Naruto chuckled at the expression on Sasuke's face, "The Mejiro can only be passed down by the person who already has that ability. In my clan, females were very rare, one in three to four generations and even fewer with Mejiro. Therefore the clan devised a jutsu that could enable males with their eyes already developed to produce heirs. Over a period of time, it got ingrained into our blood."

Naruto smirked at Sasuke's stunned expression, "So you see Sasuke. As some would call it, giving birth to Daisuke was my destiny."

"My god... Naru..."

"Its nothing Sasuke." Naruto assured with a small smile. Tilting his head to the side, he looked down at the small fire that kept them warm. "It hurt at first. I didn't know where to go, what to do. I was so confused. There was this fear that Itachi was there, hiding, watching me." Shuddering slightly he continued, "Jiraiya-sensei came looking for me after he heard about the rape from Tsunade-baachan. He knew this would happen. And for once I am thankful for him, if he wasn't there I'd have been lost Sasuke. I didn't know anything!"

Sasuke resisted the urge to stop Naruto from speaking any further, however, a large part of him wanted to hear what happened. The blond's expression of pain almost rendered him undone.

"I was happy, I had grown stronger in my three years training with Jiraiya, I had managed to bring you back. To me it was the happiest time in my life and then Itachi happened." Shaking his head he closed his eyes, "We traveled a lot, however, as my pregnancy started to progress, traveling was not an option. Kyuubi suggested that we go to a demon village for a while and I trained there through my first trimester. It was then I was spotted by my grandmother."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Naruto looked at him from the corner of his eyes and smiled, "It isn't everyday you see a pregnant male Sasuke. She knew I was her grandson the moment she saw me. After all, I look a lot like my father. She took me to Hidden Pearl where I was tended to through the rest of my pregnancy."

The smile left his face as he looked back at the fire, "Going through it made me realize how much a woman goes through. It was such a painful experience, my whole body used to ache, there was morning sickness and those dreadful mood swings. I was so confused by it all and most of all I was scared. It hurt like hell. The delivery was worst! It was like the baby was going to kill me inside out. He wanted to come out but there was no way he could, I was a male after all. This was supposed to be totally out of my capacity."

Sasuke actually winced trying to imagine what it would be like. The expression on his face was that of horror. Naruto laughed out loud. Small, almost invisible tears formed at the corner of his eyes as he smiled, "They had to perform a C-section to get the little brat out. But Sasuke, when I first saw him my heart stopped beating."

Sasuke felt a small smile forming on his lips as he saw Naruto's expression of awe and wonder. "That tiny, pink bundle was my son and the way my heart swelled that very moment... I would never forget it. All that pain, all that emotional suffering seemed nothing compared to the utter joy I felt the very first time I laid eyes on him."

Beautiful cerulean eyes glittered in warmth and love and Sasuke found himself mesmerized. "Believe me Sasuke, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can describe that experience."

"Tsunade just doesn't understand! Loosing a child is thousand times worse than loosing a comrade or family. It terrifies me Sasuke. I would have slipped past easily, but with Daisuke I cannot ensure his safety if Hunter-nins are on my tail." Naruto murmured.

Sasuke didn't know what to say. With everything he went through, he deserved to be at peace. _'At least he was not alone.'_ He thought in relief.

"You need to kill him Sasuke." Naruto said finally making Sasuke start in surprise. He looked at Naruto sharply. Naruto did not react to all this, "You need to save him and the only way to do that is to kill him."

"What are you talking about dobe?" He questioned, icy anger coloring his tone at the mere mention of his brother. He found sharp cerulean eyes looking straight at him. The expression on the blond's face was a mixture of seriousness and pity, which managed to annoy him further. It was pity for his brother and that is something Sasuke would never tolerate. His brother was a psychotic, power hungry murderer who deserved the worst of punishments, not pity from the beautiful blond angel in front of him.

However, the next words Naruto said shattered everything that he had known in his life.

"He is cursed Sasuke. He has been cursed with Orochimaru's slavery seal since the day before the Uchiha massacre."

Naruto didn't wait for Sasuke to speak. He just stood up and smiled at him. Sasuke's eyes followed his each and every movement as he leaned forward and planted a soft, timid kiss on the corner of the shocked Uchiha's lips. Brushing a strand of midnight black hair away Naruto whispered, "I know this gives you a lot to think about." Caressing the milky skin of his one and only love, Naruto smiled. "Your brother was never a monster Sasuke."

Just when Naruto was about to leave, Sasuke grasped his hand in a vice like grip. The blond gasped when he was pulled onto Sasuke's lap and grasped into a tight, seemingly desperate embrace. It didn't take long for Naruto to realize the meaning of the gesture. He wrapped his slender arms around Sasuke's neck and dug his face into his shoulder. The Uchiha's breathing was harsh against his ear, and he was trembling. Naruto didn't say anything, he just waited for Sasuke to settle down and calm himself.

He closed his eyes, he knew Sasuke wouldn't believe him. After all, he had just contradicted what the brunette had believed for a major part his life. He had just destroyed the whole purpose of his life.

However, Naruto found himself surprised. Sasuke stopped trembling and tightened his arms around Naruto. "Is it true?" he whispered in his ear, his voice full of hope. "Please tell me its true!" Naruto's face melted into a smile. "Yes its true."

Naruto became serious again and warned, "However, you cannot forget Sasuke. Itachi cannot be saved. The seal is slowly corrupting him. In a few years time he'll become the monster we all believed him to be. You have to kill him before that happens." Sasuke stilled in his arms. Naruto slowly detached himself from the now limp embrace and whispered, "I'll give you some time to think. If you need anything I'm in the master bedroom."

Sasuke just nodded numbly.

Xxx

Kabuto watched with growing fascination as the object of his master's interest trained. He was dead certain that he was found out the minute he came here. However, the young man in front of him didn't bother to acknowledge him, which was very peculiar. He adjusted his glasses and continued with his careful observation. Kabuto had to stop himself from walking up to the young man and challenge him to a fight.

Orochimaru was indeed a man with a great eye for talent. And this man screamed raw talent. Jiraiya was truly a miracle worker, Uzumaki Arashi and then Uzumaki Naruto. Both of them late born geniuses. If Uzumaki Naruto was anything like his father, Orochimaru's plan would work perfectly.

Kabuto smirked. His eyes following each graceful flip and duck. Kage Bunshins without hand-seals and tai-jutsu with speed too fast for his eyes to follow. Such speed, such grace was the true mark of an Uzumaki. It was unrivaled power which defeated even the mighty Kyuubi.

"Kabuto-san. Are you just going to stand there and observe me or are you going to inform me of the true purpose of you visit?" Naruto questioned calmly continued his training, not even out of breath. Kabuto smirked and stepped out of the shadows. Naruto didn't glance at him but Kabuto was well aware that if he made one wrong move, he'd be sliced. The Katana in the blond's hand looked just as dangerous as it was beautiful. The bejeweled sword sparkled and shinned and Naruto seemed to wield it with expert efficiency.

"Observing you is quite delightful Naruto-kun." He stated as his eyes followed the blond's movements wearily.

Naruto snorted in amusement as he sliced another Kage Bunshin ignoring he puff of smoke that clouded his vision momentarily.

"Orochimaru-sama wants you son."

Naruto stilled. All his clones disappeared in a series of pops as he calmly sheathed his sword. "Does he now? And how do you propose he'd do that?" Raising to his full height Naruto glanced at Kabuto with bland cerulean eyes. He was somewhat disturbed with the utter lack of alarm in the fiercely protective father. However, it wasn't surprising. He was well aware of the circumstances that led to the little boy's birth and frankly Kabuto was somewhat disgusted by it.

It was simply Orochimaru pulling his strings that made Itachi behave so disgracefully. He knew what was making the snake sannin so desperate to get his hands on the boy. His control over the older Uchiha was slipping steadily. Kabuto didn't have a sliver of doubt that Orochimaru would have hell to pay if Itachi found out what he had planned. Even under the effects of the seal, the Uchiha was shockingly difficult to control. If his affection for the demon-vessel did override Orochimaru's control then Itachi's wouldn't hesitate to have the sannin's head on a silver platter.

Orochimaru had been edgy ever since his plan backfired. Kabuto had to admit, with all his medical knowledge he hadn't imagined that the two bloodlines would clash. On paper, Uzumaki and Uchiha bloodlines had perfect compatibility. Naruto's son should have been a perfect wielder of both bloodlines. However, Orochimaru's little experiment came out to be a perfect failure.

Initially, the plan was flawless. Itachi's desire for Naruto and his near obsessive affection was a solid base for Orochimaru to manipulate the older Uchiha. As suspected, the Uzumaki blood running through the blond's veins acted up to its heritage and Naruto got pregnant.

Everything went downhill from there. The first thing that went wrong was the strengthening of Itachi's mental barriers. Alongside his growing love for Naruto, the sannin's control of the ancient seal started fading. He didn't anticipate the Konoha council to be so careless and let an Uzumaki slip through their fingers when he was with a child. An Uchiha child at that.

He didn't count on Naruto actually meeting the Uzumakis at Hidden Pearl. Naruto's safety was assured the minute he stepped into that powerful village.

What eventually left Orochimaru's plan in shambles was the fact that Naruto's son was defective. He would possess the Sharingan for no more than a month and his Mejiro would be permanently hampered. The boy was useless to Orochimaru now.

Kabuto refocused his gaze on Naruto who was looking at him. There was something very unnerving about that steady stare. Power radiated from that lean frame and Kabuto was certain that it owed nothing to his bloodline or the Kyuubi. The sound shinobi was hoping that this particular plan would work. Naruto was not a person who could be easily manipulated. The boy had lived through a life that Kabuto wouldn't wish on the worst of his enemies. He was a lot easier to tolerate than Uchiha Sasuke.

Smirking, he looked into those frigid eyes and replied to the blond's earlier question. "By war of course." His smirk widened into a smile when Naruto visibly stiffened. Cerulean eyes narrowed and silver rings so unnaturally beautiful, came into them. Tilting his head to the side, Kabuto's eyes gained a little mocking glint as he said, "If you don't hand the boy over peacefully then Orochimaru-sama would attack leaf to gain him."

Naruto scoffed, but caution was clear in his eyes. Kabuto knew that the plan was working just fine. It was somewhat surprising to see how much his master knew of people's mindsets.

"Even with skilled and powerful ninjas like you and Sasuke-kun, leaf wouldn't escape without casualties. _Civilian _casualties." Kabuto felt triumph coursing through his veins when Naruto's lips thinned and a frown appeared between elegant brows.

Kabuto shrugged casually, "Who knows, Orochimaru-sama might be able to succeed in killing your beloved Tsunade-sama." That was the last straw. Kabuto would see it. "You are still considered quite young to take over the office, aren't you Naruto-kun? How will you handle a broken Konoha and cope with the loss of your son and your elder sister? May be even your beloved Sasuke-kun?"

The Sound ninja smirked when he saw little droplets of blood falling from white knuckles. "Surely you know that you're already selected by the council as the Rokudaime. That powerful blood in your veins is very hard to ignore you know? As the Rokudaime, you can't pursue your son and avenge the death of your comrades."

"All this can be avoided Naruto-kun, all you have to do is hand over your son. Hand over your son and Orochimaru-sama would never bother your village again. Surely..."

"Take me instead." Naruto interrupted. Kabuto resisted the urge to smile. The outcome was exactly what Orochimaru had expected. "Take me and leave Konoha alone. If Orochimaru promises that he'd never bother leaf and Tsunade, Sasuke, Daisuke and Itachi, I'll come willingly."

Kabuto raised a brow at the mention of Itachi. His lips curled in amusement, "So you know? Why am I not surprised."

Naruto snorted, "Kind of difficult to ignore. I burned off his shirt once. Uzumakis are not called seal masters for nothing, it was easy to figure out what that long set of seal running along his spine was. Nice trick though." Naruto locked his gaze with Kabuto and smirked, "That snake bastard finds it very difficult to control Itachi now right?"

The smug look on the blond's face didn't sit well with Kabuto. His eyes narrowed as he questioned, "You tampered with the seal?" Naruto beamed, his lips twisting derisively, "I inherited my father's affinity for seals. Weakening that seal was a mere child's play for me. Its a pity I say, although I can't save him, I can at least free him from that bastards curse."

Kabuto ignored the rising panic his chest and asked, "So, you want to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the village? Just like your father. I thought you'd give your son away." The sound nin shrugged, "Doesn't matter I guess. You are rumored to be more powerful that both Uchiha prodigies combined. You can fight on par with Tsunade-sama, can't you?" A disturbing smile graced Kabuto's lips. "Orochimaru-sama could use a powerful vessel like you."

"You are mistaken if you think I'd let _my _Naruto fall into the hands to Orochimaru, Kabuto-kun."

Naruto stood stock still. That dark seductive voice rang throughout the clearing. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his eyes narrowed at Kabuto. The Sound shinobi smiled, "Good to see you Itachi-san."

Naruto resisted the urge to shudder when Itachi slipped his hand around his waist in a possessive gesture. He eyed the sound nin with deadly Sharingan eyes. He did shudder though when Itachi pressed his lips against his neck and growled. He didn't know which side Itachi was on. Was he still being manipulated by Orochimaru or was he himself.

"Are you out of your mind!" Itachi hissed in his ear causing Naruto to relax completely against him. Blue eyes watched Kabuto was the other man looked amused at Itachi's blatant display of possession.

"I'll give you a week to decide Naruto-kun. I'm certain Orochimaru-sama will be waiting for your response. Choose wisely." With that Kabuto disappeared.

Naruto didn't waste time to break free of Itachi's grasp and walked away from him. Brushing his hair back he asked, "So what's your deal Itachi?" Turning around, he looked at the man for the first time that evening. He wore normal ninja gear without his Akatsuki coat. He didn't look as small as he did in those ridiculous cloaks, he looked fairly intimidating. He was just as lean as he remembered, even more powerful and it put Naruto on edge.

This was the reason why he dared to return to Konoha. To see if he could save Itachi once and for all. Then may be Daisuke would get to know his father. Itachi looked enraged. Although his face did little to betray that particular emotion, his eyes were proof enough. Naruto's didn't know whether to anticipate a fight or not so he closed his eyes for a moment and activated Mejiro.

He didn't need his bloodline to defeat Itachi, but he was not here to do that. He didn't want to accidentally land up killing Itachi.

"What were you trying to pull there? You know exactly how dangerous Orochimaru is." Itachi stated calmly, gazing sharply into Naruto's enchanting eyes. Naruto nearly flinched. He never understood why he could gaze into Sasuke's eyes so easily but never control himself when he gazed into Itachi's.

It was as though Itachi had some claim over him. With difficulty he tore his gaze away from those crimson eyes and dug his hands into his pockets. He could almost feel the older Uchiha's eyes narrow in annoyance at the lack of response from him. His sensitive ears picked up the slight sound of Itachi's footsteps as he approached. With each step Naruto's heart beat increased. With each step he could be uncertainty crawling up his spine.

"Naru-chan, you know I'll find out sooner or later. I'd rather you tell me now." Naruto could feel his insides freeze. All these years he was waiting to confront Itachi and yet his courage fled the moment he set eyes on the older Uchiha.

"He threatened Konoha, Sasuke and the others." Naruto whispered, his voice almost meek. Itachi reached forward and grasped Naruto's chin. The touch was tender and cautious, so different from how Itachi had touched him before. The older Uchiha leaned forward and murmured, "And you, like you father would sacrifice anything to save this blasted village."

"Itachi..." Naruto hissed at his venomous tone. Itachi smirked when Naruto lifted his gaze, he had yearned to see those eyes up close for a long time now. "This is your village damn it! This is our village. And that's our s..." Naruto stopped himself short. The blond's face went blank when Itachi's face started showing hints of warmth. The Uchiha leaned in and brushed his lips against Naruto's, "And that's our son he's threatening. Is that what you wanted to say Naruto?"

He smirked at the still blond and whispered, "He is very beautiful, little one. I just wish you would have let me know him. Don't worry, I won't touch him, I won't even go near him. He does not belong to me, you raised him and I cannot claim him as mine." Naruto visibly relaxed. Itachi found himself trapped in wide unblinking eyes and inwardly smiled. His brother seemed to have a good life in front of him. The question was, could he let go of the beautiful blond in his arms to ensure Sasuke and Daisuke's happiness?

His memories were just bits and pieces but he remembered his son's smile and the way Naruto's features softened. It was raw and true emotion that he had never felt in his life ever since the birth of Sasuke. It was like a soft candle light in eternal darkness.

Naruto knew. He could see it in those cerulean depths that the blond knew. He searched his gaze in a way no one would have dared. Naruto believed in him, but he did not love him. But Itachi was content with that. He didn't want something that he didn't deserve.

He frowned when Naruto pulled him in an embrace, pale delicate fingers traced his clothed spine where the set of seals burned ever so slightly. There was acceptance in that embrace and there was forgiveness. Naruto's capacity for forgiveness astounded him.

"Fight it." came a soft whisper, hot against his ear. "Fight the seal, fight Orochimaru. You are stronger than him and you know it. I want Daisuke to know you. I want Sasuke reconcile with you, I want all those things before this seal consumes you Itachi." Naruto's hand fisted in his hair and Itachi, for the first time in his life found himself in a protective embrace.

His arms hung loosely by his side and Naruto shivered slightly. The older Uchiha dug his painted nails into his palms to control himself. Naruto's breath was hot and soft against his neck, "It frightens me Itachi. You are capable to mending and destroying my world. Try as I might, I can't do anything against the seals. Will overpowers everything. Let your will overpower the blasted seal, teme! Do it for Sasuke."

Itachi chuckled. It was always Sasuke. However, Itachi could find the heart to be jealous or angry. His foolish little brother may not deserve this blond angel, but Naruto deserved to be loved.

AN: Don't worry. This will not turn into an Ita/Naru fic. I'll let you figure out on your own if Itachi can be trusted or not.

Sorry for being late in updates. Can't help it.


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